The Brides of Frankenstein
by ManateeMama
Summary: While there's fun to be had, Halloween parties bring out the worst in some people.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: This story takes place during Season 5 and opens with Brenda being called out during the night to a murder scene. But this one is more bizarre than most.  
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**Chapter 1:**

Brenda turned into the long driveway. Although the gates were open, yellow crime scene tape barred her entrance. She flashed her badge at a patrolman guarding the entrance and he raised the tape for her to pass. As she snaked between lush foliage and up the drive, the headlights of her car revealed a cluster of the chariots of the wealthy and ostentatious parked in the circle in front of the mansion. She pulled her Crown Vic into the middle of the drive and parked between a Maserati and a Jaguar. When her squad saw her arrive they all exited their cars. She saw her men stifling yawns so she said, "Time to wake up, everyone. We've got a job to do." She turned to the patrolman who had stepped up to meet them. "Officer, what have we got here?"

"A woman attending a Halloween party was was stabbed several times, Chief. The coroner's assistant is with the body now."

"Were you the first officer on the scene?"

"Yes. My partner and I got here at 1:14 AM."

As she put on booties and gloves she asked, "What do the witnesses have to say?"

"No one has talked to them. Our orders were to secure the scene and wait for you."

"All right, then. Show us the body, please."

They walked into a second floor bedroom and saw the victim, dressed in a Bride of Frankenstein costume and lying on the floor. She appeared eerily and peacefully asleep, eyes closed, and floating on pools of her own blood. Brenda noticed several lit candles placed nearby. There was a throw pillow under her head and her hands were folded over her chest. Kendall was trying to avoid the blood while he examined the body.

"Hello, Kendall. What can you tell me about our victim?" Brenda asked as she approached, gingerly avoiding the blood.

"According to the hostess who discovered the body, her name is Beverly Langston, mid-thirties, with multiple stab wounds. And her liver temp suggests she's been dead about an hour and a half to two hours."

"All right. Thank you." Brenda then turned to the patrol officer, "I need to talk to the witnesses. Are they all here?"

Kendall interrupted. "Wait, Chief Johnson." As Brenda turned around he continued, "She was holding this in her hand."

Brenda accepted one cufflink from him and examined it. "There are initials on it." She squinted and read "C… B," and handed it to Lt. Provenza saying, "We need to find out who is wearin' the other one."

As the squad interviewed each of the witnesses they all determined that no one was wearing cufflinks. No one saw Beverly or anyone else leave the main floor and no one heard any screams over the party sounds. Beverly's escort had no idea why she would have been targeted.

When the hosts, Nancy and John Sutcliff, were interviewed. Nancy explained through tears that she had noticed the upstairs hall light on so she went up to investigate. She saw candlelight flickering from a spare bedroom door left ajar. There should not have been any candles upstairs so she entered the room and discovered the body.

When Brenda asked about anyone at the party with the initials C B, John said that the only person with those intials was Curtis Bonsal. Nancy explained that Mr. Bonsal was a music mogul and that they were investors in his company.

"Which one of the guests is he?"

"Well, he and his wife left awhile ago and we, frankly, were relieved. I really like Fiona and occasionally we do lunch. As a matter of fact, it's ironic, but Beverly, Fiona and I had lunch just last week and we talked about the party. But Curtis has a difficult side. Believe me, if my husband didn't do business with him we never would have invited him."

"I can't believe that anyone would murder Beverly, though. And in our home, too. It's horrible," John added.

"It certainly is," Gabriel replied.

"What were Mr. & Mrs. Bonsal wearin' tonight?" Brenda asked.

"Fiona was wearing a sex kitten costume but he wore a tuxedo."

Brenda looked at the rest of the guests, all in costumes. "Didn't you find that strange?"

"Not for Curtis. He's always strange. And he can be nasty. Do you think he killed Beverly?"

"It's too early to say. We have to look at everyone here tonight," Gabriel answered.

* * *

><p>When Brenda opened the interview room door, Lt. Provenza and a casually dressed, slender, goateed man in his 50s turned toward her. As she took her seat next to Provenza she introduced herself. "Good mornin', Mr. Bonsal. My name is Brenda Leigh Johnson. Has Lieutenant Provenza read you your rights?"<p>

Curtis Bonsal looked at her and grimaced. "Yes, but I don't understand why you yanked me out of my home during the night and dragged me down here only to keep me waiting for hours."

"You're here because a woman was stabbed at a Halloween Party last night."

"I heard about that, but why are you arresting me?"

"You haven't been arrested, sir. You're here for questionin' because you have more than a passin' acquaintance with the victim."

"Yes, I knew her. So what?"

"How would you describe your relationship with Ms. Langston?"

"Beverly Langston worked for me a few years ago. She was in charge of talent development for my company."

"You are the CEO of PrismaColor Music, are you not?"

"Yes."

"And how long did Ms. Langston work for you, sir?"

"Almost three years."

"Did you also have a personal relationship with her?"

"I married her, if that's what you're getting at. When I was drunk. And I divorced the miserable bitch as soon as I sobered up."

"You were married for two years, Mr. Bonsal. That was a long drunk."

"That stupid bitch dragged out the divorce proceedings for over a year with her constantly changing demands. Believe me, the only way I could handle the whole sordid mess was to stay drunk."

"Accordin' to your divorce papers you were already involved with your next wife when you married Ms. Langston. And that relationship continued throughout your marriage to her."

"I've never denied it. But both bitches wanted money, and lots of it. I divorced them both."

"Accordin' to information I have here," Brenda indicated the file on the table, "You've managed to marry and divorce several 'bitches'. Six, in fact."

"I divorced four of them. One died before I could divorce her so she didn't get a dime, thank God. In fact, I got everything she had. I deserved it, too. And I haven't started divorce proceedings on my current wife yet."

"What about your other ex-wives? Where are they?"

"My first ex-wife lives in Marseilles. The only time she comes to the states is to sue me for more money. The other two live here in Los Angeles."

"Have you seen any of them recently?"

"No. But I received paperwork that Annabelle is also going to gouge me for more money."

"I'll need their contact information."

"I can give you the names of their blood-sucking shysters. You'll have to get what you want from them."

"Were any of your other ex-wives at the same Halloween party?"

"No. The air wasn't that foul. But what does any of this have to do with Beverly's death?"

"You were at the same party, Mr. Bonsal. Here's a picture of you at the party, but you're not in costume. You're wearin' a tuxedo."

"That tux was my costume. My wife suggested that I go as a gentleman. She said that no one would recognize me," he replied sarcastically. "I'll have to tell her that she was wrong. So what?"

"Because, Mr. Bonsal, it looks like your ex-wife fought back. She was found clutchin' a gold cufflink in her hand." Brenda pulled a plastic bag containing the blood-smeared cufflink and placed it on the table in front of him. "This link has your initials on it. You were wearin' it at the party last evenin'."

"We executed a search warrant of your home," Provenza added, "And guess what we found in your closet?"

Brenda put another plastic bag containing a matching cufflink on the table. When he saw it Curtis sat back and after a long disdainful stare said, "I lost it at the party. This is a setup. I want my lawyer."

"Fine, Mr. Bonsal. But first let me tell you that we're gonna detain you as a person of interest in the murder of Beverly Langston. Lieutenant, please give him your phone so he can make his phone call." With that she collected the evidence bags and left the room.

Cmdr. Taylor and the rest of the squad were watching from the Electronics Room and when Brenda entered, Taylor asked, "Chief Johnson, are you sure you have enough evidence to hold him?"

"He had motive, opportunity, and the victim gave us an evidence trail," and she watched the monitor as Lt. Provenza handed him his cell phone."

* * *

><p>"Look, Brenda's instincts are pretty good. Let's give her some more time," Pope told a distressed Cmdr. Taylor who was standing in front of his desk.<p>

"I agree with you about her instincts. And she believes that she has all the evidence needed to send this case to the DA. But I'm worried about media response. And if she's wrong, or if she took any shortcuts, the LAPD is going to pay for her mistakes. Besides, she didn't get a confession this time." When he saw Pope's scowl he added weakly, "I guess she doesn't need one, though."

"Brenda _always_ needs a confession," Pope countered. "But I agree that she moved awfully fast."

"Sir, this man has a lot of power in the music industry. I grant you that he's wealthy enough to cover his tracks, but I think that acting so hastily could backfire and…" He paused when he heard a knock on the door.

"Come in."

"Will, I…" Brenda stopped when she saw Taylor.

"Brenda, I'm glad you're here. Why did you arrest Curtis Bonsal for the murder of his ex-wife?" Pope asked.

"I didn't arrest him. I'm havin' him held for 48 hours because the evidence fits and he's a flight risk," she replied.

Will wasn't convinced. "But unless you caught him holding the bloody knife, how can you be so sure?"

"What do you want me to do? Let him go so he can fly off to a country we don't have an extradition treaty with? Then the press would criticize us for lettin' him walk out of here when we had a good case. If you want me to let him go, I'll do it. Just write me a letter statin' that you're orderin' Bonsal released because you don't want bad press."

"No. That is not what I want. But I want you to solidify this case with more evidence before you send it to the DA's office."

Walking back toward the Murder Room, she grumbled, "He hired me to do a job but he second guesses me every time he thinks a news camera might be pointed in his direction." Then, as she turned the corner and saw her squad, she ordered, "Lieutenant Provenza, take the rest of the squad and search Bonsal's home and office again, includin' all his cars."

"What are we looking for," Provenza asked.

"Somethin' that proves Bonsal's motive besides his terrible opinion of every woman on the face of the earth. A bloody tux and a serrated knife would do nicely."

"Yes, ma'am. Boys, you heard her. Let's go."

* * *

><p>That evening, Brenda just toyed with her dinner. She wanted to talk to Fritz but he was at a meeting so, after giving up on her plate, she got out the Langston case file and studied everything in it. Finally she heard the back door opening.<p>

Fritz waded gingerly through the file papers to kiss his wife. "This case is on every station on the radio. Probably TV too," he observed, as he settled onto the couch beside her.

Brenda looked over her glasses at him and responded with a question, "Do you have time to help me?"

"Sure, but before I forget it, Charlie called earlier. She sounded upset. You need to call her."

She looked at the clock. "It's too late to call tonight. I'll call her tomorrow. What is she upset about?"

"She said that living at home isn't working out. She didn't ask, but I think she wants to come back here to live."

"Hmm. Maybe I should call Bobbie and Joyce first to find out what's going on before I talk to her."

"Brenda, she cannot come back here to live."

"Oh, I know that. But maybe I can help."

Fritz nodded and then refocused on his wife's case. "Now, what do you need?"

"Fresh eyes. It feels like I'm missin' somethin' and I can't see it."

He leaned forward to look at the photos. "Okay. Lay it out for me."

After she had presented the case, Fritz picked up the photographs of the bedroom crime scene and the cuff ink clutched in the victim's hands folded across her chest, as well as the matching cufflink obtained from Bonsal's closet.

As he examined the photos, Brenda asked, "Does anythin' jump out at you?"

"The murder scene is bizarre, like it was staged. The Bride of Frankenstein costume, the pose… It looks like an old Gothic movie."

"Well, it was a Halloween party. This whole thang is bizarre. But Beverly Langston was definitely murdered."

"The evidence sure looks pretty damning for Bonsal. You interviewed him, right?"

"Uh huh. This mornin'. Think pit viper, but without the charm. He is a disgustin' jerk who denied everythin' before askin' for his lawyer. And his attitude was bizarre too."

"What did he say?"

"He gave me his horrible opinion of women and his denial. That was about it. He didn't seem at all upset that she had been murdered. As a matter of fact, he almost seemed to be gloatin'."

"He didn't ask for his attorney right away?" When Brenda shook her head he explained, "Two years ago I interviewed him when the Bureau was looking into his company's finances. He's brilliant and very well aware of his right to his attorney. There would have to be a reason he didn't ask for his lawyer up front."

Brenda nodded and turned back to the photographs. "Look at this picture of the body. See how the killer folded the hands across her chest?"

"But he left critical evidence clutched in her hand? That doesn't make sense," Fritz observed.

"No, it doesn't. And look at her hand holdin' the cufflink. The fingers are barely closed around it."

"Maybe the killer planted the evidence after the fact."

"Uh huh. If he was gonna plant evidence, why would he use his own cufflink? And why would Bonsal keep the other one? Why wouldn't he ditch it on his way home? And why wasn't any blood found on any of his clothin'? Did he ditch his tux and keep the cufflink? Nothin' makes sense."

"You said he claimed that he was being set up?"

"Yeah, and this whole thang makes it seem like he is."

"Then why are you holding him?"

"Because of the physical evidence and his ability to leave the country. You know, there were probably lots of other people there who would love to get back at him by framin' him for a murder. But I can't see anyone else at that party actually doin' it, no matter how much they hate him. And, believe me, they all do. I'm positive he did it. Will is second guessin' me, though. He's so afraid of bad publicity when it comes to celebrity cases. And Taylor was pokin' around..."

"What are you going to do?"

"More interviews, I guess."

* * *

><p>The next morning Brenda went to Pope's office but was told that he was going to be out of the office all morning. When she returned to the Murder Room she got everyone's attention. "Listen up, everyone. We've got a lot more work to do on the Langston case."<p>

"We nailed Bonsal yesterday afternoon. What's left to do?" Flynn asked. "Write him up. Case closed."

"There are still thangs we need to know about this murder before we can charge him. Lieutenant Tao, do we have an autopsy report yet?"

"I spoke to Dr. Morales late yesterday afternoon. He said he'd have more information for us in a day or two. He did say that the victim was stabbed eight times with a single-edged, serrated blade approximately five inches long and about one half inch wide."

"A steak knife?"

"Possibly. A steak knife would be the right size."

"Chief, we confiscated all the kitchen knives. None of them apparently was the murder weapon, and the caterers said that none of them were missing. The set of steak knives was complete, too," Det. Sanchez added.

"Sergeant Gabriel, I think it's time that we met the incredibly lucky Mrs. Bonsal."

* * *

><p>After Brenda and Sgt. Gabriel announced themselves, the large wrought iron gates swung open. They were met at the front door by Fiona Bonsal, a beautiful blonde in her mid-twenties. Brenda immediately noticed her elegant carriage and thought, <em>She must be a model<em>. _What's she doin' wastin' herself on the likes of Curtis Bonsal? _But she put her personal feelings about Fiona's husband aside and began. "Mrs. Bonsal, thank you for speakin' with us."

"Certainly. I want to help my husband in any way I can."

"I'm sure. Let's start at the beginnin'. How did the two of you meet?"

"I worked on a music video for one of his artists. We began dating immediately but we couldn't get married until Curtis' divorce became final."

"I see. Did you know that he was married when you began datin' him?"

"Not at first. When I found out, he told me that he wasn't happily married. I was the one who made him happy."

The familiarity of the situation struck a chord with Brenda but she set her feelings aside and continued with the interview. "Did you ever meet any of the previous Mrs. Bonsals?"

"Yes. I knew Beverly. And Francine is employed by my modeling agency. We aren't friends, but I've worked some events with her. They're the only two I've met. One passed away and one lives in France. I don't know anything about Anabelle except her name."

"You said that you knew Beverly. What was her relationship like with your husband?"

"Curtis doesn't get along with any of his ex-wives. But I always liked her."

"Oh? What was she like?"

"She was tough. She didn't let anyone get away with anything. I admire strong women."

"So do I, Mrs. Bonsal," Brenda smiled before changing the subject. "And how are you and Mr. Bonsal gettin' on?"

Fiona's smile disappeared as she chose her words carefully. "Curtis has been… stressed. One of his singers is trying to change labels and he's afraid he's going to lose a lot of money. He's having to sue to enforce the terms of the contract."

"Does he take his stress out on you?"

"Curtis takes his stress out on everyone, Chief Johnson. There's just no pleasing him when he's upset. He has a real persecution complex and he blames everyone else for his unhappiness."

"Do you think his unhappiness could lead him to kill Beverly?"

"No, never. It sounds strange, but for all his bluster Curtis is actually afraid of women. All I can think is that his mother must have been a real piece of work."

"Really."

"Yes, but this time he has a good reason to be angry. You see, he was served court papers. Beverly was going back to court for more money."

"Beverly was takin' him back to court? I thought Annabelle is the one suin' him."

"They both were. And when he got the papers he just went crazy."

"Crazy how?"

"Screaming and smashing things. I've never seen him do that. He loves his art. He feels his art collection is the only thing that gives him legitimacy. And he destroyed two of his favorite pieces."

After they left the Bonsal mansion, Gabriel asked, "Do you think she was aware that she can't testify against her husband?"

"She can't be _compelled_, Sergeant. I don't think compellin' will be an issue."

"She certainly didn't seem upset that her husband is being held for murder."

"I got the feelin' that they might not even be married by the time this case comes to trial."

That evening, Brenda updated Fritz on her case. "I don't know what to think about Fiona Bonsal. On one hand she expressed a loyalty to her husband. But when she described him she seemed full of distrust and downright contempt."

"I've met a lot of spouses who verbalized a loyalty that fell apart on questioning."

"Yeah, me too. But everythin' about this case is just off the wall. I wish I had a handle on even one aspect of it. I just know he's guilty but it still feels like we're goin' in the wrong direction," she mused as she looked at the photographs.

"I think we need to leave the Bride of Frankenstein alone for a little while. I'd like to concentrate on another bride," he whispered as he removed her glasses from her nose and began nibbling on her ear. So she responded in the only way she could. She turned to him and began kissing and caressing him.

* * *

><p>The insistent ring of her cell phone brought Brenda slowly back to life. She struggled to focus her eyes on the clock. 1:30 AM. Reaching for the phone before Fritz woke up, she mumbled sleepily, "Deputy Chief Brenda Leigh Johnson."<p>

"Brenda, it's Will. I'm sorry to call so late but there's been another murder at a Hollywood Halloween party."

_To Be Continued…_

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	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

Driving to the crime scene, Brenda grumbled to herself. "Why can't murderers work nine to five like everyone else? This is the second time this week… Absolutely ridiculous."

Sgt. Gabriel met Brenda on the porch of the mansion. "Chief, the victim was Gloria DeMateo, thirty-four years old, and she was stabbed repeatedly."

As she put on booties and gloves she asked, "Any relationship to Curtis Bonsal?"

"Not that we've been able to determine. But get this, Chief. She was killed in an upper bedroom and she was wearing a Bride of Frankenstein costume. And her body was posed exactly the same way as Beverly Langston's."

"Well, I don't know if she had a relationship with Mr. Bonsal, but someone definitely has a relationship to both victims. Is everyone who attended the party still here?"

"Yes, ma'am. Hollywood Division held everyone here until Major Crimes arrived on the scene. The hostess gave us her guest list and everyone is accounted for."

"What about the household staff?"

"The party planner is taking a headcount of the staff now. Sanchez is with her."

"Thank you, Sergeant. Let's take a look at the victim."

When she entered the upstairs bedroom, she saw a familiar figure hunched over the body. "Kendall, do you have a time of death?"

"She died about two hours ago. But look at this, Chief Johnson. She's wearing two costumes. She's got a Playboy Bunny costume underneath. And this bride costume was put on the body after she was attacked. There are no slits in the fabric. All this blood just soaked through from the wounds."

"Someone worked hard to set the scene, includin' the candles. Can you give me any information about the murder weapon?"

"Dr. Morales will be able to give you more definitive information but it looks like she was stabbed with a single edge serrated blade."

Brenda turned back to Gabriel. "Did anyone report hearin' anythin'?"

"Not a thing. There were a lot of spooky Halloween noises coming from a stereo system set up on the patio."

"So when she screamed, no one would think anythin' of it. All right, Kendall. As soon as you can, get this body to the morgue and I want Dr. Morales to put a rush on the autopsy."

"I'm finished here and I've already notified Dr. Morales."

"Great. Thank you. Sergeant, let's go see what the witnesses have to say."

The rest of the squad was already interviewing the partygoers when Brenda and Gabriel returned to the main floor. She recognized the Mayor and his wife as well as the a City Councilman and his wife and, since she knew Chief Pope would not want them to be inconvenienced any more than necessary, she interviewed them before speaking to the hostess and the caterer.

Neither the Mayor nor the City Councilman had much to contribute. The victim and her husband had arrived a little later than the term "Fashionably Late" would dictate, but they had seemed to be in a good mood and mingled freely with the other guests. No one seemed to have a problem with Mrs. DeMateo or her husband. The Mayor's wife said that she had sat across the table from Gloria at dinner and both she and her husband were friendly and outgoing and didn't seem to have a care in the world.

"Thank you for your help. I'm gonna let you go home now but I may need to speak with you again."

"Thank you, Chief Johnson," The Mayor replied. "I'll get an update from Chief Pope tomorrow. And if there's anything more you need from my wife or me don't hesitate to call," the Mayor said as he extended his hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Mayor. Good night," Brenda smiled and awkwardly removed her glove before shaking his hand. Then she turned to Sgt. Gabriel, "We need to learn more about Gloria DeMateo's relationships. See what you can find out about her family, please."

The party planner confirmed that neither Curtis nor Fiona were on the guest list and the caterer said that all of the knives had been accounted for.

When everyone had been interviewed, Brenda turned to Provenza. "Lieutenant, I need to learn more about Curtis Bonsal's relationships. Let's start with his divorces and alimony cases."

* * *

><p>Later that morning, Brenda examined the rest of the witness statements before being summoned to Chief Pope's office.<p>

After listening to her summary of last night's events he asked, "Is there any tie-in between Bonsal and this murder?"

"None that we've found so far. Accordin' to the victim's husband, neither one of them knew Curtis Bonsal or Beverly Langston. And neither he nor his wife had ever had any association with the music industry or modelin'."

"Are you saying that this was just a coincidence?" he asked incredulously.

"No, of course not. I'm sure the killer is the same person but…"

"But since Bonsal is in jail it's definitely not him."

"I'm beginnin' to wonder if he was right about bein' set up. I suppose it's possible that he could have hired someone to kill Mrs. DeMateo. But he couldn't have wielded the knife himself."

"In that case I want Bonsal released immediately, with both a verbal and a written apology from you. The publicity this is going to create is going to be a nightmare," Pope added dejectedly.

"All right. But before he's released I'm havin' him brought up from holdin' so I can interview him again."

"That's only going to make matters…" Pope stopped himself in mid-sentence. "No, nevermind. Go ahead. But make it fast."

She nodded her agreement. "I'll make it as quick as I can. Believe me, talkin' to Curtis Bonsal is definitely not somethin' I want to draw out any longer than absolutely necessary."

* * *

><p>Tao caught her attention as she walked back through the Murder Room. "Chief, Mr. Steiner called and he does not want Bonsal interviewed again until he can get here. Andy is bringing Bonsal up now. Where do you want him?"<p>

_Of course, Curtis Bonsal would hire Floyd Steiner. My day just keeps getting better and better. I'm so lucky to get two jerks for the price of one. Ugh! _"Please tell Lieutenant Flynn to put him in Interview Room 1, and let me know when Mr. Steiner arrives. Thank you, Lieutenant."

She sat at her desk staring at her keyboard. _And now I've got to write an apology to the worst person on earth._ But the words eventually came and she was printing out two copies of the written, albeit insincere, document when Sanchez knocked on her door and reported that they were ready for her. "Thank you, Detective."

Mr. Bonsal and his attorney were sitting with Flynn in the interview room when Brenda entered. "Good afternoon, Mr. Bonsal, Mr. Steiner."

"Chief Johnson, I demand my client's immediate release."

"You've made a stupid mistake," Bonsal added. And before Mr. Steiner could shush him he continued, "But I'm not surprised. What can you expect from the LAPD when they hire a dumb blonde?"

"Hey! Watch your mouth!" Flynn yelled.

"Curtis, let me handle this." Mr. Steiner' tone was sharp.

Ignoring Bonsal's and Flynn's remarks Brenda asked, "Mr. Bonsal do you know a woman named Gloria DeMateo?"

"I'd never heard of her before my lawyer told me about last night's murder. I told you that I was being set up, but you were too stupid to listen."

Brenda's years of interrogation training and experience enabled her to tamp down her own anger and keep her voice smooth. "Yes, Mr. Bonsal, you did. Who do you think would want to frame you for murder?"

"None of my ex-wives would do it, that's for sure. Those broads are just as stupid as you are, but they're smart enough to realize that if anything happens to me they won't get another dime."

Brenda felt Flynn's indignation and put her hand on his arm to silence his pending rebuke. "What about your current wife? Have you and she been havin' problems?"

"No, we haven't. And she's too dumb to plan a murder."

"What about one of your business associates? A disgruntled employee? Or maybe a competitor?"

"None of my business associates. I make them too much money. They're not too bright, either, but they're smart enough not to kill the golden goose. And I've got a lot of disgruntled employees. The music industry is a cut-throat business and I've made plenty of enemies. You figure it out. That's what they pay you to do, isn't it?"

"Yes, Mr. Bonsal. That's exactly what they pay me to do."

"Chief Johnson, it's obvious that my client is innocent and your 48 hour hold is up. I demand that you either charge him or release him immediately."

"I've already spoken to Chief Pope about releasin' your client. We're processin' him out as quickly as we can."

Mr. Steiner then turned to his client and explained the process of releasing him.

"The release paperwork has already been started," she lied and then continued. "I hope you'll accept the LAPD's regrets," she said as she handed them both copies of her written apology. "Mr. Bonsal, again I'm sorry you were inconvenienced."

Curtis just sneered at her and crumpled up her apology as she left the room.

Walking back to the Murder Room Flynn asked, "What now, Chief?"

"I want to talk to the people who gave last night's party."

"You've got it," he replied and went directly to his phone.

When she entered the Murder Room, Provenza handed Brenda some large files saying, "I thought I knew everything there was to know about bad divorces but Curtis Bonsal's have every one of mine beat."

"Thank you. I'll look through these while waitin' for the Pelhams to arrive." Then she walked back to her office and pulled her brown sweater around her. Although it always comforted her, today it was a poor substitute for the hug she so desperately wanted.

* * *

><p>Brenda interviewed Dennis and Sharon Pelham separately. Dennis said that he and Curtis sat on the same museum board and that he and his wife had met Fiona at a reception. But they both denied knowing Beverly Langston.<p>

When Brenda asked if Curtis and Fiona had attended their party they both explained that they didn't invite them because they considered Curtis too crude for the Mayor and the City Councilman and they feared that he would create a scene if he were to become intoxicated. Mr. Pelham described him as an alcoholic and added that he is a very obnoxious drunk.

_He's not any more pleasant when he's sober, _Brenda thought. But she just thanked each of them for coming in and excused herself.

When Brenda walked back toward her office, Provenza grabbed her attention. "Chief, Dr. Morales called and asked that you call him back."

"Thank you, Lieutenant." From her desk she returned the call. "Yes, Doctor. Do you have some new information for me?"

"I think this will interest you. I've completed my autopsy on both of your vics and I've noted a similarity between the two, other than their costumes. Both women were stabbed with identical blades and the angle of the wounds suggest that both were stabbed by someone between 5'7" and 5'10" tall. But, perhaps even more interesting, I found flecks of dried blood residue near Gloria DeMateo's wounds. I also sent that blood residue along with a sample of Ms. Langston's blood to the lab to see if it matches."

"Excellent work, Doctor. That will help a lot."

"One more thing. Gloria DeMateo had skin under her fingernails. I've sent it off for DNA testing."

"Great. All of this is very interestin', Doctor, especially since our main subject in the first murder is over 6 feet tall."

"Well, you can rule him out then, unless you can prove that your victim was standing on something other than the floor when she was stabbed."

"No, it doesn't appear so. Please put a rush on the DNA. Thank you."

Brenda emailed Pope advising him of her request for expedited DNA and attached a copy of her written apology to Mr. Bonsal. With that odious task behind her she walked up to the Murder Board and began adding the new information. "Dr. Morales just told me that both of our victims were killed with identical blades, possibly the same one. And given the killer's height, we can eliminate Curtis Bonsal as the person who wielded either knife."

"So, who is our best suspect?" Sanchez asked.

"That's the problem. This new information opens up our suspect pool to even more people. So now we need to figure out who framed Curtis Bonsal. Sergeant Gabriel, what have you been able to learn about Gloria DeMateo's friends and family?"

"There's not much there, Chief. Her family is all in Philadelphia. She and her husband moved here about six months ago and so far everyone I've been able to talk to seems to like them."

* * *

><p>After a long, frustrating day full of more dead ends, Brenda left work and called Joyce from the car. "Hi, Joyce. This is Brenda. How are thangs goin' with Charlie?"<p>

"Hi, Brenda. I'm afraid things are rocky. But you must have known that so I'm assumin' that she called you."

"She called the day before yesterday before I got home. And before I call her back, I wanted to talk to you."

"She's unhappy but she won't talk to Bobbie or me about it. She just stomps off to her room. I haven't heard that she's gotten into trouble and she's obeyin' the rules better, but she's really unhappy about somethin'."

"Yeah, I remember when I was 16 and I didn't want to talk to my parents about anythin', either. Maybe she'll talk to me."

"I hope so because Bobbie and I both are sick of her attitude and we don't know what to do with her."

"I'll give it a try. What time does she get home?"

"The bus gets here in about a half an hour."

When Brenda got home, she settled back into the couch with a glass of wine before picking up her cell phone. "Hi, Charlie. It's Aunt Brenda. I'm sorry I missed your call the other day. How are thangs goin'?"

"Hi, Aunt Brenda. Thangs aren't good at all," Charlie replied as her voice broke.

"I'm sorry, honey. Can you talk about it?"

"Let me shut my door… There… I don't know where to start."

"Okay, then let's start with your mom and dad. What are thangs like with them?"

"Nothin' has changed with them. They don't trust me. I have to come straight home from school every day, and they search my room. I get the third degree about every little thang. I feel like I'm livin' in prison."

"Why do you think they don't trust you more?"

"I don't know. Honest, Aunt Brenda. I haven't done anythin' since I've been home. I'm not gettin' into any trouble at school or anythin'. Even though I tell them I've changed they don't believe me."

"What about your friends?"

"I'm not hangin' with Amy and those kids anymore. I'm tryin' to make new friends but I never get to do anythin' besides go to school and come home. And I wish I could get my license and a car but my parents won't let me. I mean, what's the point of doin' everythin' right if I'm still gonna be treated like a criminal?" Charlie took a deep breath before continuing. "Can I come back and live with you and Uncle Fritz? You treated me better than anybody."

"Oh, Charlie. Wouldn't it be better if we could get your parents to ease up on you? Let me talk to them first."

"You don't want me, either."

"That's not true, Charlie. But wouldn't it be much better if you could be happier in your own home?"

"I don't see how. They're never gonna change. I hate my life."

"Let me try to talk to them, okay?"

Brenda heard a brick-heavy sigh. "I guess I don't have a choice."

"Hang in there. I promise I'll talk to them. I'll call them just as soon as I can. But it might be a couple of days because I've got to catch a serial killer first."

Brenda couldn't miss the sadness and depression in Charlie's voice when she ended the call with, "Okay, Aunt Brenda."

* * *

><p>Over dinner that night she told Fritz about her calls to Atlanta. "She sounds miserable and Joyce sounds frustrated. I feel so bad for them."<p>

"Brenda, she cannot come back here to live."

"I know that. But maybe I can get Bobbie and Joyce to realize that she's almost an adult and they have to ease up a little."

"I sure hope so."

Brenda then changed the subject and told him about Pope's demand that Bonsal be set free and that she was ordered to issue two apologies. "I thought for sure that he was involved. And now I don't know which way to go. I was so sure that he's guilty," she grimaced.

"You've decided that he's innocent?"

"Yes, as much as I want to arrest him, he didn't kill either one of my victims," she replied in an even more annoyed tone. "And I just wasted 48 hours. But who framed him? Almost everyone who knows him has a motive." She punctuated her sentences by jabbing the air with her chop sticks.

"Well, I hope you don't get called out tonight. I hate not being able to snuggle up to my wife during the night."

That brought a smile to Brenda's face. "I hate it too."

But Brenda didn't sleep well that night. Frankenstein's brides kept circling around her like pieces in a kaleidoscope, and every time her dream would wake her up she kept thinking about the fact that she was failing to solve her case.

* * *

><p>"Sergeant Gabriel, I want to interview Fiona again. Please bring her in. And if she insists on bringin' her husband make him wait in the break room. But don't read her her rights until she's in the interview room. And if she wants to call Mr. Steiner make her sign a release first."<p>

Brenda was in the Electronics Room when Sgt. Gabriel escorted Fiona in. As he read her her rights, Brenda noticed that she was wearing a long-sleeved jacket and that she kept tugging at the sleeves. "I wonder why she's doin' that. Buzz, please raise the thermostat high enough that she's gonna want to take her jacket off. Let's see what she's got up her sleeve."

It worked. When she entered the interview room, she smiled at Fiona and since Fiona held both hands in her lap, Brenda extended her hand in order to coax Fiona to shake hands with her so she'd have to raise her arm.

"Mrs. Bonsal…"

"Please, call me Fiona."

"All right, Fiona," Brenda smiled. "I'm sorry to have you brought down here today, but I've got some more questions for you. Oh, my! Those bruises on your arms and wrists. What happened to you?"

Fiona rubbed them self-consciously. Then she looked Brenda in the eye and replied, "My husband likes it rough. I do too, and I guess we got a little carried away when he got home."

"But you're okay?"

Fiona smiled and said, "Yes."

"Well, I'm certainly glad to hear that. I'd hate to think that someone was hurtin' you."

"No, no one is hurting me. I'm fine."

"In that case, let's get on with the interview, shall we? I'm sure you and your husband have other thangs you'd rather be doin'."

"Curtis had to fly to Chicago early this morning so it's just me."

"Oh, really? I'm sorry he had to leave so soon after gettin' home."

"It's okay. It was already on his schedule. He's checking out a new rapper and he'll be home tonight."

"Fine, then. Fiona, are you aware there was another murder at a Halloween party night before last?"

She nodded. "My husband told me about it when he got home last night."

"Did you know Gloria DeMateo?"

"No, I didn't. Oh, I know the Pelhams but I didn't know Mrs. DeMateo at all."

"If you say you know the Pelhams I'm wonderin' why you weren't at their party."

"We're not social friends, Chief Johnson. I know them through the Moore Gallery. Dennis and Curtis both sit on the board and I have met Sharon at a couple of receptions. That's the only contact I've ever had with them."

Brenda then asked her about any mutual friends she and Beverly Langston shared.

"We both know the Sutcliffs. Nancy is a wonderful person and she always throws fabulous parties. I can't believe Beverly was murdered in her home."

"Were you surprised to see Beverly there?

"No, but I wasn't happy about it."

"Oh? I thought you said that you liked Beverly."

"I liked her, but Curtis hated her. I was afraid there would be a scene. And, sure enough, when we got there and Curtis saw her I could tell his temper was building. So we just made the necessary social connections and left early."

"You had lunch with Beverly and Nancy a few days ago." When Fiona nodded Brenda asked, "Why did you do that if you knew that Curtis would be upset?"

"Curtis doesn't know everything I do, Chief Johnson. Nancy and I are good friends and when she called about doing lunch I had no trouble saying yes."

"Tell me about that lunch."

"It was just the three of us and we talked mostly about the party menu and Beverly's new house."

"Did Beverly seem upset or afraid of anythin'?"

"No, not at all. She was looking forward to all the Halloween parties and excited about decorating her new house."

"Did she mention takin' Curtis back to court for more money?"

"No. We had an agreement never to talk about things like that."

"Do you know of anyone who would want to frame your husband for murder?"

"I've thought a lot about that and I don't have any idea. Curtis has made a lot of enemies in the music industry. But I just can't imagine anyone trying to frame him for murder. I don't know."

"Do you think any of his ex-wives could kill someone in order to frame him?"

"Even though Curtis doesn't say anything good about them I can't imagine any of them doing something so horrible."

"Well, I'm gonna let you go. If you think of anythin' that could possibly help, please give me a call."

"I will. I really want the person who did this to be caught."

"All right, then. Thank you for comin' in today."

Lt. Flynn met Brenda in the hall after her interview. "Chief, I just got a call from someone who was at the Pelham's party. She has her own Halloween party planned for tomorrow and is wondering if she should cancel it. She asked that you call her back."

Lt. Provenza interrupted, "Chief, Dr. Morales is waiting for you in your office."

She took Flynn's note and replied, "Thank you. I'll call her back as soon as I see what the good doctor has to tell me."

When Dr. Morales heard Brenda's door open, he rose and turned to her. "Chief Johnson, I have the DNA results back."

As Brenda took her seat she replied, "Oh, good. Let's have it."

"First of all, the dried blood residue was from Beverly Langston."

"I suspected as much. So the murder weapon had to be the same. And since in both cases the kitchen knives were accounted for, that means that the killer brought the knife with him."

"Her."

"Excuse me?"

"According to the DNA test, the skin under Mrs. DeMateo's fingernails was from another woman."

"So it's a pretty safe assumption that our killer is a woman."

"Here's the DNA profile so you can check your database for a possible match," he said as he handed Brenda the file.

"Thank you, Dr. Morales. These results change everythin'."

He nodded and left. After the door closed behind him she picked up Flynn's sticky note and dialed the number. When the woman answered, Brenda asked her to fax over her guest list and promised to call her back as soon as she had the chance to check it out.

"We have new information, everyone," she announced as she walked up to the Murder Board. "Dr. Morales' DNA tests prove that the same knife killed both victims, and the skin under Gloria DeMateo's fingernails was from a woman."

"So Bonsal is off the hook?" Provenza asked.

"It would appear so, Lieutenant. And, believe me, I'm more disappointed than you are."

"I've never been so tempted to frame someone in my life," Flynn added.

"I suspect someone else had that idea first. Lieutenant Tao, would you please check this DNA profile to see if we can ID this woman? And Detective Sanchez, I want to interview Annabelle. Would you please find her for me?"

"Sure," he replied as he turned around to retrieve an incoming fax. "Chief, this is for you," and he handed Brenda the guest list.

Back at her desk, Brenda studied the list looking for similarities. She circled one name and sat thinking for a moment before she picked up her phone.

_To Be Continued…_

**Please, please review.**


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Brenda sat in her office, lost in thought, and chewing on her pen. Finally she picked up her phone. "Hi, Fritzi. I'm callin' to ask you for a date."

"I'll check my social calendar," he chuckled. "I've got to be careful, though. I've got a jealous wife… But I guess you're worth the risk. When? Where?"

Brenda felt her spirits lifting, buoyed by Fritz's love and good humor. "Tomorrow night. It's another Halloween party."

"Oh, this is a working date. And here I thought you wanted my company."

"Look at it this way: the fact that it's work just shows how important you are to me."

"I suppose," he laughed. "Will we need costumes?"

"Uh huh…"

"Don't even think about going as the Bride of Frankenstein."

"No, that wouldn't work. We need somethin' that we can get out of in a hurry. And it needs to hide our faces but we still need to be able to see everythin' goin' on. So can we go shoppin' tonight?"

"Okay."

Brenda smiled, "Okay. See you later," and hung up the phone. Next she called the hostess who was worried about throwing another Halloween party and told her that she could go ahead with her plans but there would be two additions to the guest list.

* * *

><p>That evening, Fritz and Brenda stood in the aisle of the Hollywood Costume Emporium looking at the racks of remaining costumes for couples.<p>

"There's not much left," Fritz observed.

"No, but this is all we've got. How about these Charlie Brown and Lucy costumes?"

"No. I don't think I'd see very well wearing that big head."

"You're right." She continued walking down the aisle. "Maybe we can't get couples costumes. Wait a minute… What about these KISS costumes? All that makeup would cover our faces so we wouldn't have to bother with masks," Brenda suggested. "And we wouldn't have to remove the costumes in a hurry."

Fritz was skeptical. "I don't know about these boots. High heels have never been my preferred look."

"Just wear your regular street shoes."

"Okay. I'll grab them." Fritz took them off the rack. "Let's get the makeup. Then we can check out and get dinner. I'm starved."

* * *

><p>The morning of the party, Brenda explained to her squad what they would be doing that night. "Lieutenant Provenza, I want you and Lieutenant Flynn to be parked on the street where you can watch the house and signal to the others if you see trouble. The rest of you will be positioned further down the street. Fritz and I will be inside wearin' KISS costumes. I'll have my cell phone but I can't hide a gun inside my costume. That means that only Fritz will be armed. So if either one of us calls, you need to come immediately. Is that understood?"<p>

"Yes, Chief," Provenza nodded.

"Chief, do we need to wear costumes?" Sanchez asked.

"No. Only Fritz and I will be in costumes. And that's only because we don't want anyone else to know who we are."

* * *

><p>As soon as Brenda got home she called her brother's number. Joyce answered the phone. "Hi, Joyce. Is Bobbie there? I'd like to talk to you both."<p>

"Yes, I'll call him."

She heard her sister-in-law's muffled voice as she put her hand over the receiver and asked her husband to pick up the extension. Before Joyce turned back to the phone, Brenda heard another click and knew that Charlie was listening in upstairs, but before she could say anything Bobbie picked up an extension.

"Hi, sis," Bobby said. "So did you talk to Charlie?"

"Yes, and Joyce, you were right. She's very unhappy."

"Did she tell you why?" Bobbie asked.

Brenda squelched the urge to tell him to try ignoring his martini schedule and spend more time with his daughter. "I didn't get her permission to tell you specifics and I want to keep her confidence. But I can tell you that she's frustrated because she feels she's worked hard to regain your trust but you haven't eased up on her."

"Now you sound like Joyce," Bobbie replied. "I haven't eased up on her because she lied to us so much and disobeyed us so often that she's got a lot to do to regain my trust."

"But, isn't that just drivin' y'all further apart? Isn't there some area where you could give her a little more freedom? She'll be less likely to break the rules again if she knows she would lose her privileges."

"I don't know. She wants a car but I just can't see allowin' her to go God knows where with the way she's behaved."

Brenda slipped into interrogator gear. "Is she still hangin' out with the same crowd she was before she came out here?"

"No," Joyce admitted. "She's made different friends."

"And has she or any of her new friends gotten into trouble?"

"No, not yet," Bobbie admitted.

"Then isn't there some carrot you could use to let her see that her good behavior earns her privileges that her bad behavior didn't?"

"Swim Club is startin' up at school and she wants to join that," Joyce said.

"But the school isn't on a bus line and neither of us gets home from work in time to pick her up, so we can't do that," Bobbie added.

"But could she do it if she could find other transportation?"

"Maybe. We'll talk about it," Joyce said.

"It depends. I don't want her gettin' into some car and drivin' off with boys." Bobbie was adamant.

"You know, maybe her own car isn't such a bad idea," Brenda suggested.

"Now, just a minute. You're not her…"

Brenda interrupted her brother. "Bobbie, I know I'm not her parent. But she did very well in my home." When all she heard was silence she continued, "Think about it. If she had to get a part time job to make payments on a used car, that would be a great way to teach her responsibility. And if she doesn't behave responsibly with it, you could take the keys away until she earns them back. I remember that bein' able to drive was a great incentive for me to follow the rules. And you know how stubborn I was."

"You still are. But you didn't have your own car," Bobbie reminded her.

"No, I didn't. I had to use Mama's. But drivin' was still the perfect carrot to dangle in front of me, and I'll bet it would work with Charlie, too. And that way she could join the Swim Club." When she didn't hear a reply Brenda pressed. "Think about it. She's almost 17. She's got to have time to learn how to manage bein' independent before she goes away to college, or else she'll get in even more trouble."

"Bobbie, I think she's right," Joyce said.

"You two are gangin' up on me."

"We women have to stick together," Brenda replied with a smile.

"I know when I'm outnumbered. We'll talk about it."

"Okay. I can't ask for anythin' more than that," Brenda added. Then she saw the clock and said, "I've got to get back to work. I love y'all. Bye." When she heard Bobbie and Joyce say goodbye and disconnect she said, "Charlie, I did my best. Now it's up to you. Don't blow it." She smiled when she heard one more click.

* * *

><p>Brenda and Fritz arrived at the party in their costumes and waited in their car until the steady arrival of partygoers had stopped. They waited at the rear of the foyer until all the guests had been welcomed before Brenda signaled to the host. When he and his wife approached, they informed them that they were going to stay in the background blending in, but not interfering with any of the guests. They also told them that the rest of Major Crimes were in plain clothes, parked at a discrete distance and would not be summoned unless needed. And they warned them against saying anything to anyone about their presence. After securing their promises of silence, they faded into the background.<p>

Throughout the evening, Brenda and Fritz moved around the great room and the patio, listening to conversations and ever watchful for anything out of the ordinary. Like the previous parties, the hosts set the mood by playing spooky Halloween sounds. But the noise was so loud that it interfered with Brenda's and Fritz's ability to eavesdrop, so Fritz found the host and asked him to turn down the volume. With the background sound effects under control they continued to observe and could hear strains of nervous conversations about the two previous murders.

After 11:00 PM they stationed themselves at the back of the great room so they could monitor if anyone went upstairs. By that time many of the partygoers had consumed a good deal of alcohol and the laughter of some of the guests was becoming raucous. When Brenda was accosted by a drunken Spiderman, she fended him off and both she and Fritz retreated to the patio to continue their observations.

After shivering in the cool night air for half an hour, Brenda started to suggest that they try going back inside when Fritz raised a finger to his lips. He pointed to the window where she caught a glimpse of a pair of trousered legs climbing the stairs.

They quietly followed. All of the bedroom doors were closed so they listened at each door. And when they heard nothing, Fritz signaled that they should tiptoe into the middle bedroom and listen. If they were to encounter anyone, Brenda had planned to feign drunkenness, but it wasn't necessary because the bedroom they chose was empty.

Soon they heard the muffled sounds of two women talking as they climbed the stairs. Both Brenda and Fritz froze until the women entered the adjacent bedroom in the rear of the house. Then they tiptoed to the wall to listen and soon heard the door open and a man's voice in the mix. They held their positions and continued to listen.

After a minute they heard sounds of a struggle and a woman crying, begging for her life. So they rushed to enter the other bedroom. Annabelle Freeman was sobbing while Curtis Bonsal was slapping his wife.

Fiona was holding a knife and crying, "No, please, no! I can't do it again. Don't make me. Please don't make me."

No one noticed the door open until Brenda held up her badge and yelled, "FREEZE! LAPD. NOBODY MOVE!"

When Curtis saw Fritz draw his gun he let go of Fiona and froze, then quickly recovered. "Thank God you're here, Chief Johnson. You arrived just in time. Fiona was going to kill Annabelle."

"You BASTARD!" Fiona shouted, dropping the knife. "I was refusing to kill her but you were trying to force me to do it."

Annabelle grabbed a waste basket and started vomiting from sheer terror. In between wretching, she gasped, "He said that they both killed Beverly and Gloria and that I was going to be next."

"SHUT UP, YOU STUPID BITCH!" Curtis yelled.

Annabelle began wretching again and Fiona crumpled onto the floor sobbing.

Brenda turned and saw a Bride of Frankenstein costume draped across the arm of the chair just as Sanchez and Gabriel burst into the room. They could hear Provenza standing on the stairway ordering the rest of the partygoers to stay downstairs.

"Curtis and Fiona Bonsal, you're both under arrest for conspiracy to commit murder and the attempted murder of Annabelle Freeman," Brenda said and turned to Sanchez and Gabriel. "Gentlemen, cuff them and get them out of here, please." She saw Buzz standing in the doorway filming the scene. "Buzz, be sure to get the costume over there," as she pointed to the chair, "As well as the candles and the knife on the floor. Thank you, gentlemen. And would someone take Mrs. Freeman downtown and get her statement?" she asked as she moved to help Annabelle get up.

* * *

><p>When Brenda got to her office she caught her reflection in the window, laughed and retreated to the Ladies Room to try to wash off her makeup. But since the soap dispensers were empty she smeared more makeup than she removed. Finally she gave up and went into the Electronics Room to monitor Sanchez and Gabriel handling the suspects. Chief Pope and Taylor walked in while she was watching. They took one look at her face, streaked with white makeup, and couldn't contain their laughter.<p>

She realized that she looked ridiculous and returned their laughs with a self-conscious one of her own. "I guess I really do look like a Halloween fright."

"I'm sorry, Chief," Taylor replied while unsuccessfully trying to stifle his laughter.

Simultaneously Pope said, "I don't care what you look like. I'm just so glad that you're safe and that you solved this case. Good work."

"Yes, well done, Chief," Taylor added, finally able to stop laughing.

"Oh, thanks. But I'm not finished yet. So far I've just charged Curtis and Fiona with conspiracy and attempted murder. He's invoked his right to counsel and his attorney is on his way so I know I won't be able to get a confession from him. I'm hopin' for better results from his wife."

"But that's enough to hold them overnight. Why don't you go on home?"

"You're not afraid of bad press?"

"You know what? Screw the press. I'm tired of being kicked around by reporters."

Brenda shook her head. "I still want to get at least one confession. I've got Annabelle's statement and now I'm gonna interview Fiona."

"But we can't use her confession against her husband," Taylor cautioned.

"Commander, Curtis and Fiona were workin' together so that makes it a conspiracy. And conspiracy to commit murder is an exception to spousal privilege so I can use anythin' I get against him."

She started to the interview room but realized she needed to get the rest of her makeup off so she stopped in the break room, grabbed the bottle of dish detergent and a scrubbing pad before heading back to the Ladies Room.

With her face scrubbed clean, Brenda entered the interview room opening her mouth and stretching her cheeks, trying to fight the dryness of the dish soap. Fiona looked up at her, startled, and Gabriel stifled a laugh.

Fiona recovered first and began to speak but Brenda stopped her. "Before you say anythin' Sergeant Gabriel here needs to read you your rights."

He read her the Miranda warning and when Fiona responded that she had heard and understood her rights, Brenda continued. "Are you waivin' your right to counsel?"

"Yes," Fiona replied nodding.

"All right, but before we continue I need to advise you of one more thang. Normally you couldn't be forced to say anythin' against your husband and you couldn't be forced to testify against him. But since you've been charged with conspiracy to commit murder, you don't have that protection. Do you understand?"

"Yes. I want to testify voluntarily."

"All right. I just want to make sure you understand that anythin' you say can and will be used against both you and your husband. And you can be compelled to testify against him in court."

Fiona again nodded and began begging, "Please, you've got to understand. I had to do it. Curtis would have killed me."

"Had to do what, Fiona?"

"I had to kill Beverly and Gloria. I didn't want to kill them. He forced me."

Brenda immediately projected sympathy. She put her hand on Fiona's arm. "I'm so sorry, Fiona. But I don't understand. How could he force you to do somethin' so awful if you didn't want to do it?"

"Let me start at the beginning. I think you'll understand it better if you'll let me."

"All right, go ahead. From the beginnin'."

"When I first started dating Curtis he was a real gentleman and very sweet. He complained bitterly about his ex-wives but he treated me really well. He never criticized me, never laid a hand on me. And he always told me that I was different from any other woman he'd ever known. We both were really happy. It wasn't until we were on our honeymoon that I ever saw any other side of him and he scared me."

"What happened?"

"We were in Bali and had climbed to the top of a beautiful grotto. I was looking down at this gorgeous spot and called to him to come see it with me. He came up behind me and grabbed me by the waist and pushed me. He didn't let go of me so I didn't fall, but I was terrified and screamed. He just laughed and said it would have been so easy to kill me."

"Oh, my!"

"But when he saw how scared I was he said it was just a bad joke and he apologized. He seemed really sorry so I let it go. Then about three months later we were making love and he grabbed me by the throat and choked me until I couldn't breathe. And he said he could snap my neck and that he thought I turned a pretty shade of blue. When he let go of me I pretended to need to go to the bathroom and I went and locked myself in another bedroom. The next day he cried and told me how sorry he was and I believed him. And everything was really good between us for a long time."

"Did he cause the bruises I saw on you makin' love, or did he beat you?"

"He beat me. You didn't see all the bruises. Most of them were on my stomach and legs." Fiona reached over and took Brenda's hand. "You have to understand. Curtis is a really scary man when he's angry. When he first told me his plan, I told him I didn't want to kill anyone. That infuriated him and he punched me in the stomach. He locked me in a storage building, in the dark, for more than twenty-four hours and told me that he would kill me if I didn't do it. There was no doubt in my mind that he meant it."

"Why did he want you to kill them?"

"He was furious that he had to pay Beverly so much money. And when he was served papers that Annabelle was taking him back to court too, he just went crazy."

"But why kill Gloria DeMateo? Did she have anythin' to do with Curtis?"

"No. Gloria was a decoy. Killing her was just meant to throw you off. Curtis told me to plant the cufflink on Beverly so you'd immediately accuse him of the murder. Then he made me kill Gloria in exactly the same way so that you'd realize that he couldn't have done it."

"He knew we'd have to let him go," Gabriel said.

"That's right, he'd be in the clear. He promised that Annabelle would be the last. He said we would sneak out before her body could be discovered, and we would leave the country tonight. But I was afraid that he would kill me too after Annabelle was dead, So I packed a suitcase and hid it in the guest house where he wouldn't find it. I was going to leave him but he came home before I could get away."

"Fiona, why didn't you tell me about his plan the first time I interviewed you? Curtis was in jail then. He wouldn't have been able to get to you."

"I don't know. I can't explain it. I was just so afraid. If you've never been completely controlled by someone who threatened to kill you, there's no way you can understand. I wanted to show you the bruises on my stomach where he had punched me, but I was just too afraid. And, besides, he had already forced me to kill Beverly. There was just no way out."

"Tell me how you did it."

"Curtis planned it all out. We bought two identical Halloween costumes for me for the first party and smuggled one of them, the knife, and the candles into the party in one of my small totes. After dinner I went to the restroom and tore open a seam in my costume. Then I made sure that Beverly saw it. When she did, I asked her to help me and said that I knew Nancy had a sewing kit upstairs. We went into one of the upstairs bedrooms where Curtis was waiting with the tote. He gagged Beverly and ordered me to pick up the knife and, at first I refused to take it. But he threatened to kill me with it too if I didn't do it. Afterward he set out the candles and told me how to position Beverly's body. Then I changed costumes and we went back downstairs and said our goodbyes."

"So the second costume…"

"Curtis knew there would be blood on the first one."

"I see. One more thang… Are the bruises from Curtis your only injuries?"

"No," she said as she pulled down her neckline so Brenda could see the scratches on her neck. "They're not from Beverly, but Gloria fought back. She tried to scratch my face but I ducked and she raked my neck with her nails. I've worn turtlenecks ever since to hide them."

"Tell me about her death."

"We weren't invited to that party so I came in from the patio while everyone was eating dinner. Curtis told me to pick someone we didn't know, so I picked Gloria because she was moving around the room talking to people while her husband hung out at the bar. I ripped open a seam in my costume and asked Gloria to help me so she would come upstairs with me. After I killed her I put the Bride of Frankenstein costume on her just like Curtis had told me to do. Then I left the way I came in."

Brenda let out a sigh. "Fiona Bonsal, you're under arrest for conspiracy to murder Annabelle Freeman and the murders of Beverly Langston and Gloria DeMateo. Sergeant, will you please take her to bookin'?"

"Mrs. Bonsal, please stand up and put your hands behind your back," Gabriel said quietly.

Fiona nodded and complied.

While he was cuffing her, Brenda told Gabriel, "Make the charges read second degree murder. Oh, and make sure all her bruises and scratches get photographed."

Gabriel nodded and led her out of the room leaving Brenda sitting there.

Chief Pope and Taylor were with the rest of her squad in the Electronics Room when she opened the door and sighed, "I'm exhausted. As soon as I finish loggin' everythin' in I'm gonna go home."

"Go home now. Provenza can handle the rest of the paperwork. And take tomorrow off," Pope urged.

"Thanks. After these past few nights, I'm really gonna enjoy sleepin' in."

* * *

><p>Finally at home, she tiptoed into the bathroom to avoid waking Fritz and washed the remainder of the dish detergent from her face and applied her moisturizer. With her face scrubbed free of all traces of Halloween she slid into bed beside Fritz.<p>

As she relaxed, enjoying his warmth and scent, he rolled over and said, "Charlie called."

"Is it good news or bad?"

"Good. She was happy. Her parents sat her down and said that they would get her a used car and that she could go out for the swim team. She has to get a part time job and make car payments, and she has to maintain her grades. They also made it clear that if she screws up, Bobbie will put the car up on blocks."

"Good. I think that's the right thang to do, don't you?"

"Oh, absolutely." Then he changed the subject. "Are the Brides of Frankenstein finally at rest?"

"Uh huh. I got a full confession from Fiona. She's gonna testify against Curtis. And Pope told Lieutenant Provenza to do the mop-up paperwork so I can sleep until noon tomorrow."

"Good. My bride deserves a good night's sleep," he whispered and kissed her gently. She snuggled up next to him and felt the tension ebb from her body. He moved to fold her into his arms, and as they formed two perfect spoons, all thoughts of the Brides of Frankenstein faded away and they drifted off to sleep.

_The End_

**A/N: Thank you for reading this story. And now won't you please leave your review? I know I say it all the time, but it really is important. Thanks.**


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